Obama Orders New Sick Leave Law

Obama supports the working class with the new executive order for paid sick leave. (Photo Courtesy of MCT Campus)

By Adrianna Caraballo, Contributing Writer

Between the race for President and Donald Trump causing a commotion in the elections, we seem to forget that President Barack Obama is still in the White House. On September 7, also known as Labor Day, President Obama signed an executive order that requires federal contractors to allow their employees to have seven days of paid sick leave per year. A fitting day to sign a law that affects people’s work and labor.

For those who are unfamiliar with what federal contractors are, they are people who have an agreement or contract with the federal government to perform a specific job. According to the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission), “If your company does business with the federal government you are most likely a federal contractor under the Executive Order 11246.”

This new order does not directly affect private sector workers, also known as the “everyday Joe” working at Dunkin Donuts. As true as that may be, every dollar redirected trickles down into the economy, eventually affecting each one of us in one way or another. The ideal purpose for this new policy is to give over 300,000 working Americans paid sick leave.

The law is effective immediately and promises employees to earn one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours of work. Obama hopes that this new law will boost efficiency, employee loyalty, and cost savings for those who do direct business with the federal government. He also hopes that it will lead to a better economy in the long run.

President Obama also commented that the United States needs to be more effective in supporting the working class. Obama said “I believe that working Americans should have the basic security of paid leave. Right now, we are the only advanced nation on earth that does not guarantee paid maternity leave, think about that.”